Media365
NEW DELHI: India’s teen chess sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has once again stunned World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, registering his second victory over the Norwegian great in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old grandmaster defeated Carlsen in the first classification game of the semi-final, forcing the five-time world champion to resign in 43 moves.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Praggnanandhaa, playing with the white pieces, showcased clinical precision and tactical depth. By the 18th move, Carlsen made the bold decision to sacrifice his queen in exchange for a bishop and knight — an attempt to turn the tide — but Praggnanandhaa weathered the challenge and regained the upper hand late in the game. By move 41, the Indian GM had lined up three central pawns and forced Carlsen into a position where checkmate was inevitable, prompting the resignation.This latest triumph adds to Pragg’s growing list of wins over Carlsen. Earlier this week, he had already defeated the Norwegian in 39 moves during the group stages. That win knocked Carlsen into the losers’ bracket, where he eventually lost to Levon Aronian.Praggnanandhaa has now beaten Carlsen multiple times across formats. He first made headlines in 2022 at the Champions Chess Tour, defeating Carlsen at age 16. In 2024, he secured his maiden classical win over the Norwegian at Norway Chess.Despite Carlsen bouncing back to win their semifinal clash (3-1) through blitz tiebreakers (2-0) after splitting the two classical games, Praggnanandhaa’s performance has firmly established him as one of the most promising talents on the global stage.
